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“I am the only storm that matters now, and there is no shelter from what I bring.��

Ever since I saw the cover of this book and I was very intrigued and wanted to read it. I previously read Trail of Lightning which I thought was good but I never had the urge to continue that series. Black Sun was definitely a better experience that left me itching for more.

I read this with The Fantasy Guild book club and I was slightly stressed because it was my pick for the month and I felt a responsibility was on me of not disappointing the club members. Now after most of us have read it, I am happy to say that the feedback was mostly positive and I am happy of this choice.

The story is a story of revenge at its center but it is much more than that. I am not the best at explaining plots so I will leave that for other reviews and the synopsis. The writing is very smooth and I finished the book in two days only. The opening chapters were very intriguing and they certainly hold the readers attention to continue the book.

The book has 4 main POVs and as most readers, my favorite characters were Serapio and Xiala. Naranpa’s and Okoa’s point of views were not badly written and I enjoyed them but less than the two main characters. I think not only those characters were interesting by themselves but their cultures and backgrounds make them even more intriguing.

“There are only two kinds of men: ones who betray you sooner and ones who betray you later.��

The World-building is very good, I liked the Teek and the magic system. I thought that the magic used in the most brutal scenes was very vivid and unforgettable. I also liked that it was inspired by Pre-Columbian Americas which is a change from the typical western settings. There was also inclusion of diverse characters like non-binary characters who use the pronouns Xe/ Xir and it is my first time stumbling upon that in a book.

I thought that the pacing was good and it got even better in the second half. There are answers provided slowly throughout the books but new questions keep arising when those answered are given. I am a bit underwhelmed by the ending and to be 100% transparent I had to read it again before writing this review just to remember it. It was not bad but it felt like a chapter ending and I expected more specially with the excellent opening, I thought there will be an explosive wrap up. I will be waiting for book two which I believe will be published next year in April!

“A man is like a clam,�� her mother had once told her. “Let him open on his own, and he will give you a pearl.��

Summary: I really enjoyed this book and thought that Roanhorse’s prose has improved. The story was very intriguing, the writing very smooth and the overall flow was great. I kind of wanted more of Naranpa and Okoa and expected more of the ending but I am sill satisfied by this read!

Thanks for the publisher for sending me a finished copy in exchange of an honest review.